Catalytic isomerization



Fatented M 3&9 E

OATALYTKG E80 iii Edward D. Reeves, Cranford, my aasignor to Standard on Development Company, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application August er, 192e,

Serial No. 292,719

M Claims. (6!. fill-683.5)

The present invention relates to isomerizin hydrocarbons and more specifically to converting normal or straight chain parafiins into isoor branched chain parafllns by catalytic means.

It is known to isomerize or convert normal paraiflnic hydrocarbons into branched chain paramnic hydrocarbons by means of Friedel- Crafts type catalysts, such as aluminum chloride, aluminum bromide, z nc chloride, and the like.- However, in such reactions the catalyst is not always maintained at a high degree or activity during the reaction.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for the catalytic iscmerization of hydrocarbons, particularly paramnic hydrocarbons, and to carry out such a process while maintaining th catalyst mass in a highly active condition. It i a further object of the invention to provide a continuous catalytic isomerization process wherein the actual catalytic agent is formed in situ and wherein such "highly active form of catalyst is substantially maintained during the process. Another objectis-to isomerize straight run paramnic naphthas of relatively low octane number and thereby form higher octane number naphthas of improved fuel qualities without substantial cracking. Still another object is to reduce catalyst degradation so that it is possible to materially enhance the catalyst life.

In order to accomplish these objects as well as others which will be apparent from a full understanding of the invention to more fully described, the conversion of straight chain hydrocarbons, particularly of the paraffin series, is effected in the presence of metals, particularly aluminum, although other'metals such as iron and zinc may be employed, and in the presence of halogens such as chlorine and bromine, etc. This reaction may also be carried out in the presence of promoters,such as the hydrogen halides, for example, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, and the like. It is likewise efllcacious for the ultimate conversion to high yields 'to employ small amounts of the lower alkyl halides, for example, methyl chloride or bromide, ethyl chloride or. bromide, butyl and amyl halides, and the like. Instead of adding a tree halogen to the metallic substance to form a Friedel- Crafts type of catalyst in situ, the process may be altered so that the promoter is directly added to the metallic component thereby producing the metal halide in situ and in addition permitting the evolution of free hydrogen in the process, said evolution proving beneficial in the isomerization reaction. If desired, mixtures of themebe hereinafter position reactions.

' fins, such as straight run naphthas, may

moters and free halogen may be added. Like-- wise. small amounts of catalyst suitable for expediting the formation or these Friedclecrafts type'catalysts may be employed, for example, mercury or mercury salts, such as mercuric chloride. By so producing the isomerization catalyst in situ, the amount contacted with the hydrocarbon can be carefully controlled, the spent catalyst may be readily nad semi-continuously re moved, and highly active metal halide is always present for contacting with the feed.

The present process is capable of converting normal paramns, such as normal butane, normal pentane, normal hexane, normal heptane and higher homologs, into their corresponding branched or iso forms, such as isobutane, isopentane, isohexane, isoheptane, and the like. The feed stock may also comprise mixtures oi more than one of these straight chain parafflns. or, if convenient, the paraflinichydrocarbon mixture may contain small proportions of branched chain parafllns, although for greatest eiilciency the hydrocarbon feed stock should comprise essentially straight chain paraffins. Mixed paratalso be converted into isomeric mixtures which have an increased value with respect to anti-detonation qualities and with respect to further chemical reactions to produce alkylation products when reacted with parafilns. In general, any hydrocarbon mixture composed predominately or saturated straight chain compounds is suitable as a feed stock for the process herein outlined. A product containing substantialamounts of branched chain isomers may be separated from the reaction medium and fractionated within the desired boiling range. The constituents boiling above and below the desired range may then be returned to the isomerization reactor to suppress their further formation or to be further isomerized to more useful products.

The isomerization may be effected over a wide range of conditions of temperature, time of contact, catalyst concentration, etc., all of these factors being interrelated. In general, temperatures between about 30 and about 400 F. may be employed, although at temperatures above 300 F. there is apt to be some decomposition and the formation of lower hydrocarbons and lower number of carbon atoms would be expected in such an instance. gen formed in situ or added from extraneous sources has a tendency to Qrppress such decom- The specific paraflins or specific temperature ranges are more However, the presence of hydrodesirable than others, for example, in the case of normal butane of normal pentane and higher homologs a range from about 50 to about 150 F. is better. Good yields may be obtained within these ranges using a contact time of from about seconds to about hours, depending upon the temperature and the amount bf catalyst employed.

The reaction is preferably carried .out under liquid phase conditions. Hence any temperature below the critical temperature of the feed stock may be employed, although it is preferable to use the temperatures specified above. Sufllcient superatmospheric pressure may be employed to maintain the reactants as wellas the reaction products in the liquid phase under the reaction conditions obtained. In particular, liquid phase operations are conducive to the production of ultimate high yields and to the carrying out of the processin a continuous manner. It is to be understood, however, that the process is not only applicable to continuous operation, but it is contemplated to carry the some out in batch type apparatus for single batch operatiom Where the reaction is carried out in the liquid phase, it has been found advantageous to intensively agitate the reaction mixture so that intimate contact is established between the feed and the catalyst. In the present case, the catalyst may be employed as a slurry and a mechanical agitator propelled by external means inserted in the reactor. 0n the other hand, where a bed type of catalyst is employed, it is well to employ liquid phase operation and to force the liquid hydrocarbon feed into the reactor under pressure through jets of restricted internal diameter or to employ turbo mixers or some similar dispersion means for increasing intimacy .-of contact between the catalyst and the feed.

The catalyst as heretofore indicated is produced in situ by the reaction of a suitable metal, such as aluminum, zinc, iron, or the like, with a halogen or a compound chemically reacting as the equivalent of free halogen underthe conditions of reaction, such substances being for example, chlorin bromine, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, alkyl halide heretofore mentioned, organic acid halides, such as acetyl bromide or chloride, or mixtures of these various compounds. Aluminum is preferable for use in the reaction. It may be employed in the form of foil, chips, flakes, grindings, powde'r, pellets, lumps, balls, or other highly porous form. The catalyst may be introduced directlyinto the reaction chamber where the Friedel-Crafts type catalyst is ultimately formed as a slurry within the reactor. The aluminum in its various forms may be filled into the reactor so that it is present as a stationary bed or a series of stationary beds through which the hydrocarbon flows, or aluminum may be feed stock and thereby carried into the reactor. At any event, it within the reactor small amounts of catalyst known to promote the formation of Friedel- Crafts type of reagents. Such metals are mercury, mercury salts, such as mercuric chloride, and the like. The water is also advantageous.

The isomerization reactor may be a bomb, autoclave, or some such suitable reactor. To this reactor is charged metallic aluminum and normal paramn. The halogen-containing agent added in small quantities to the is advantageous to have present presence of small amounts of then admitted, either from an extraneous 76 necessary for carrying source directly into the reactor, addedtothefeedincaseswhere is added-directly to the reactor.- The mixture is then vigorously agitated to bring about the reaction under suitable temperature conditions. As heretofore mentioned, small quantities of aluminum chloride may, if desired, be added directlytothefreshfeed. The'productinthe continuous process is continuously withdrawn and filtered to remove the spent catalyst prior to either recycling the isomerized mixtm'e or to fractionating out-the isomerization reactor.

The hydrocarbon may be present during the reaction in either the liquid or vapor phase, depending upon the particular temperatureand pressure conditions employed. Both operations are feasible. However, it is preferred to use a liquid phase operation, the pressure being suiflcient to maintain the hydrocarbons in liquid phase during the reaction. 4

No special type of apparatus is required. for carrying out the process of the Any apparatus which is suitable preheat the hydrocarbon feed where heating is the feed enters ture, although thisisnotnecessary. Itislikwise advisable e employ some device for separ- In order to more fully understand the present invention the following examples are given:

trample 1 action with the metallic aluminum and in sufli- Example 2 position.

Example 3 Normal butane was contacted in a closed vessel with about 4% by weightoi HCl, an excess of metallic aluminum and a small amount 01 mercury which acts as a catalyst for the formation of aluminum chloride. at a temperature oi about 212 F., about 19% of the butane was isomerized to isobutane.

The present invention is not to be limited by any theory of the operation or any particular metal or halogen containing substance, but only to the following claims in which it is desired to claim all novelty inherent in the invention.

What is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A process for isomerizing normal paraiiin "hyhlrocarbons comprising subjecting normal paraflin hydrocarbons containing at least 4 carbon atoms per molecule under isomerization reaction conditions to the action of powdered metal of the group consisting of aluminum, iron and zinc and a halogen-containing substance capable of reacting with the metal toiorm a metal halide, whereby a Friedel-Crafts catalyst is prepared in situ the reaction being carried out in the absence of extraneously produced metal halide.

2. A process which comprises continuously contacting a hydrocarbon mixture containing at least one normal paraflln containing at least four carbon atoms per molecule under suflicient superatmospheric pressure to maintain thereactants in liquid phase under the reaction conditions' obtaining in thepresence of a catalyst prepared in the reaction zone during the reaction by contacting comminuted metallic aluminum with a hydrogen halide while retaining the hydrogen developed in situ in the reaction system, under isomerization reaction conditions, and recovering branched chain paraflin from the reacted mixture the reaction being carried out in the absence of extraneously produced aluminum halide.

3. A process which comprises contacting at least one normal paraflin containing at least four carbon atoms per molecule in the liquid phase with a catalyst of finely divided particles of metallic aluminum the surface of which contains a coating of aluminum chloride formed in situ by contacting said particles with a chlorine-containing substance capable of reacting with the At the end of 12 hoursaluminum under the reaction conditions obtaining to give aluminum chloride, while maintaining' isomerization reaction conditions the reaction being carried out in the absence of extraneously produced aluminum chloride.

4. A process as in claim 3 wherein the chlofine-containing substance is hydrogen chloride, said hydrogen. chloride being present" insuiilcient amount to form aluminum chloride by realuminum and wherein cient amount to act as a promoter for the iso merization reaction as we 5. A process for the production of isoparaffin which comprises isomerizing normal paraflin containing at least four carbon atoms per molecule under isomerization reaction conditions in the presence of a finely divided metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, iron and zinc and a halogen-containing substance capable of reacting with the metal under the reaction conditions obtaining, thereby forming a Friedel- Crafts type metal halide catalyst in situ the reaction being carried out in the absence of extraneously produced metal halide.

6. A process as in claim 5 wherein the metal is the halogen-containing substance is hydrogen chloride, said hydrogen chloride being present in suflicient amounts to unite with the aluminum surface exposed thereto and to have suflicient excess thereover to serve as a promoter for the isomerization reaction.

'7. A process as in claim 5 wherein the metal is aluminum and wherein a small amount of mercury is present in contact with the aluminum.

8. A process for the affln which comprises isomerizing a normal parafiin containing at least four carbon atoms per molecule in liquid phase at a temperature betweenabout 30 F. and about 400 F. under isomerization reaction conditions in the presence of finely divided metallic aluminum and a chlorinecontaining substance capable of reacting with the aluminum under the isomerization reaction conditions, thereby in situ the reaction being carried out in the absence of extraneously produced aluminum chloride.

9. A process as in claim 8 wherein normal butane is the normal paraflin employed 1 and wherein the temperature is between about 70 F. and about F.

10. A process as. in claim 8 wherein normal and about 150 F.

11. A process as in claim 8 wherein the reaction is carried out continuously and-the chlorinecontaining substance is added continuously and in small amounts yet in sufilcient amounts to maintain some unreacted chlorine-containing substance present during the isomerization reaction.

12. A process as in claim 8 wherein the reaction is carried.out continuously and the chlorinecontaining substance is added to the normal paraflin feed stock.

13. A process as in claim 8 wherein the reaction is carried out continuously and hydrogen chloride is continuously added to the normal paraflin feed stock in small amounts, said amounts being sufiicient to unitewith the metallic aluminum coming in contact therewith and being sufiicient to maintain a promotional amount of hydrogen chloride in unreacted state in the isomerization reaction. 14. A process as in claim EDWARD D. REEVES.

production of an isoparforming aluminum chloride 8 wherein chlorine is the chlorine-containing substance employed. 

